Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From  Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine









































































 -   This at the
commencement was the usual mode of travelling, the horses generally
overtaking the cattle before mid-day, when - Page 16
Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine - Page 16 of 107 - First - Home

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This At The Commencement Was The Usual Mode Of Travelling, The Horses Generally Overtaking The Cattle Before Mid-Day, When All Travelled Together Till They Camped At Night, Or Preceded Them To Find And Form The Camp.

Two incidents occurred on the way:

"Postman," a pack-horse on crossing a deep narrow creek, fell and turned heels uppermost, where he lay kicking helplessly, unable to rise, until the pack was cut clear of him; and "Cerberus," another horse, not liking the companionship of the mule, took occasion in crossing another creek to kick his long-eared mate from the top to the bottom of it, to the intense amusement of the black-boys, who screamed "dere go poor fellow donkit" with great delight. The whole course was about 11 miles. The camp on a small dry creek. They procured water in the main channel of the river, on the south side. During the journey at every camp where there was timber, Mr. Jardine cut (or caused to be cut) its number with a chisel into the wood of a tree, in Roman numerals, and his initials generally in a shield.

'October' 14. - The distance travelled to-day was only 11 miles, but described by Mr. Jardine, as equal to 20 of fair travelling ground. The course lay over very stony quartz and granite ridges, which could not be avoided, as they ran into the river, whilst the bed of the stream would have been as difficult, being constantly crossed by rocky bars, and filled by immense boulders. The grass was very scarce, the blacks having burnt it all along the river. There were patches where it never grows at all, presenting the appearance of an earthern floor. They encamped at the junction of Canal Creek, under the shade of some magnificent Leichhardt trees ('Nauclea Leichhardtii') that grow there, without other water than what they dug for in the sandy bed, and reached at a depth of two feet. On the opposite side and about a mile from the junction there is a swamp, splendidly grassed, which looked like a green barley field, but the water was too salt for the horses to drink, an unusual thing in granite country. The timber of the ridges was cheifly stunted hollow iron-bark, that of the river, bloodwood, and the apple-gum, described as so good for forging purposes; there was a total absence of those tall well-grown gums, by which the course of a stream may usually be traced from a distance. So little was the river defined by the timber that it could not be distinguished at a half-a-mile away.

'October' 15. - The party moved to-day as far as the swamp mentioned on the 19th September. It received the name of "Cawana Swamp," and is described as the best and prettiest camping place they had yet seen. It is surrounded by the high stoney range called Jorgensen's Range on two sides, north and east, whilst on the south and east it is hemmed in by a stretch of cellular basalt, which makes it almost unapproachable.

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